title: When aspiration fails: a study of its effect on mental disorder and suicide risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Strain Theory of Suicide postulates that psychological strains usually precede suicide mental disorders including suicidal behavior. The four sources of strain are basically (1) differential value conflicts, (2) discrepancies between aspiration and reality, (3) relative deprivation, and (4) lack of coping skills. This paper focuses on the effect of perceived failed life aspiration on the individual's mental disorder and suicide risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this study were from a large psychological autopsy study conducted in rural China, where 392 suicides and 416 community living controls were consecutively recruited. Two informants (a family member and a close friend) were interviewed for each suicide and each control. Major depression was assessed with HAM-D and the diagnosis of mental disorder was made with SCID.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that individuals having experienced failed aspiration were significantly more likely than those having not experienced a failed aspiration to be diagnosed with at least one disorder measured by the SCID and major depression measured by HAM-D, and to be a suicide victim, which is true of both suicides and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the hypothesis that the discrepancies between an individual's aspiration and the reality is likely to lead to mental disorder including major depression and suicidal behavior. Lowering a patient's unrealistic aspiration can be part of the of psychological strains reduction strategies in cognitive therapies by clinicians' and mental health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Shandong University School of Public Health Center for Suicide Prevention Research, Jinan, China. zhangj@buffalostate.edu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ziyao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aspiration; China; Depression; Mental disorder; Suicide